DS418 vs. DS416play

[Enquiries]

Hi – I'm totally new to NAS and a total tightwad. Thanks for your YouTube videos and site.

I'm wanting a starter NAS that runs DSM 7.1 and will get updates for a little while.

It's just me – 1 user. I want to back up 2 Macs via Time Machine (or whatever the Synology equivalent is). I also want to be able to access files remotely and stream the occasional movie. I like Plex, but my Google TV has an SMB app that works just fine. I'm confused about why 4K transcoding is necessary. I seem to be able to run MP4s just fine off of any old device acting as an SMB server.

Here's where I'm at...

Through researching prices for sold listings on eBay and Mercari, it seems that these two models that meet my requirements are the most commonly available and about $250 on a good day:

DS418
DS416play

What would you recommend? Is there something newer that's just a little more that would be an incredible jump up and a little more future-proof?

Thanks so much for any guidance – I can tell this is your passion!

-Sal";}

[ed]

Yes, These two Synology models would allow you to run Time machine backups. Transcoding 4K is possible with DS418 but old ds416play might not cope with this. If you do like the Plex app, you can stream original files locally. But no transcoding will be possible in this app only Synology's own video app. If you stream locally on compatible TVs, then the transcoding function is not necessary in the first place. We are waiting for the new model to be released, likely at the start of the next year.


I hope this helps.